Macbook Pro/ Sony Vaio/ Gateway Netbook Your opinion

Im doing an English project and am doing a comparison between these three portable computers. Let me know your experience with any of them, Preferably the Vaio and Netbook( any netbook is fine). And if you have a compare and contrast I would appreciate it.

I've used the current 17" MacBook Pro, and the 13" Macbook Air extensively. I have also used the Sony Vaio Notebooks on a regular basis (But have never owned one).

All 3 I listed above are great, I much prefer the 17" MBP over the other 2 I listed but I find them all usable (I am extremely picky about computers). Apples laptop design and construction is really unbeatable in my opinion but they do carry a heavy price tag (but not an unreasonable one. Spec for spec they are competitive)

I triple boot on the 17" MBP (OS X Lion/Windows 7 Professional/Red Hat Enterprise Linux) I use engineering software such as Autodesk Inventor Professional, Solidworks, AutoCAD, MATLAB, MathCAD, LabView, FileMaker Pro Advanced, and a few other less known programs as well. Overall the 17" MBP is an extremely well built machine and is starting to get enough power under the hood that I can actually get work done on it (and not have to use my desktop as much)

I mainly use my GF 13" MacBook Air for media and business apps and is great on the go. very light but is actually a real computer vs Crapbooks (PC Netbooks that are so under powered that can barely run their own OS) I use the iWork, MS Office, Filemaker Pro Advanced, and iLife applications on this computer and it handles them really well nothing like the previous generations of the MBA that were underpowered in my opinion.

The Sony Notebook that a good friend of mine has is a decent machine, not up to the specs that I like but he isn't into the same kind of hardware heavy programs that I am. For its specs it runs well, my biggest issue is the same issue I have with 99% of most PC laptops, they are very poorly designed. the airflow/cooling systems are terrible and can't handle the heat put out by the factory hardware... unacceptable. They also just don't feel solid in your hands (when you pick them up)

It all really just depends on what type of user you are.

As an artist, designer, and a gamer I love my 15in macbook pro... haven't found anything that I couldn't throw at it (so long as it was compatible :rolleyes: ). AC:Brotherhood was trying to prove me wrong, but in the end it turned out to be a couple files corrupted during download and once I fixed that problem everything ran like a charm.

I commonly have Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver (all CS 5.5), Word, Chrome, and Steam up and running at the same time along with a Skype call and a screen-recording software (Livestream), and I keep my Adium (IM program) and Colloquy (IRC) open most of the time as well. If I happen to be testing a website, I've also got every browser compatible with Mac open since I hate when web designers don't test across browsers. I have yet to make my RAM or Processor crap out on me even with all of that going though my computer did get pretty hot before I bought a laptop fan.

I also have an Acer netbook and the difference is night and day. Not worth the $120 imo... all I do on it is use it to watch netflix or skype call if I don't feel like cranking out my Mac. It's my travel computer since I need my Mac in tip top condition for school and I also use it to test projects in a Windows environment when I need to. Thinking of downgrading to Windows XP and throwing another GB of RAM at it to see if I can at least do more than one thing without it locking up on me.

I personally can't stand Macs. I'm a PC person.
I built my own desktop, and have a vaio netbook. I really like the Sony. If I could afford it, I would get the Z laptop model, which is fantastic. Performance is pretty good and I haven't had problems yet. Gaming, media, and photoshop on it isn't bad either. I like the size of Sony too. 10" nice and portable.

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Originally Posted by PolishPython

Im doing an English project and am doing a comparison between these three portable computers. Let me know your experience with any of them, Preferably the Vaio and Netbook( any netbook is fine). And if you have a compare and contrast I would appreciate it.

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I am confused (must have spent to much time in the riddle thread) are you looking for a comparison for the topic of your paper, or to physically write your paper on?

I have sold all three for the last 3 years...and am very familiar with them all. Are you looking for specifics, I mean that is a very open question....you are talking about laptops that range from $250-$2500....

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Originally Posted by BigJ

I am confused (must have spent to much time in the riddle thread) are you looking for a comparison for the topic of your paper, or to physically write your paper on?

I have sold all three for the last 3 years...and am very familiar with them all. Are you looking for specifics, I mean that is a very open question....you are talking about laptops that range from $250-$2500....

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I basically need another source of info/ opinions on all three to take up a page of a 10 page paper so I figure I would see what this thread polls and write a page out of it. Thanks A lot everyone

ok gotcha, so its for the paper itself, you aren't looking to purchase one!

With that being said the netbook is made for the basics, it doesn't run a full OS and is noted to fail rather quickly. It runs the atom processor, which is a basic dual core CPU that the new tablets can out perform. It runs the graphics from an integrated GPU built into the motherboard, and uses both the CPU and RAM to process, in essence crippling the system when anything of substantial load is run. It generally runs off of 1 or sometimes 2 gigs of RAM something that is barely sufficient to run the "starter" edition of the OS, not to mention any program of substance. It was a fad that was a nice lead into the tablet phase we are in now.

The Vaio on the other hand (although again there is a huge gap in price ranging from around $600 to $2000) is a computer made to be a work horse. They are generally priced above other laptops in their category, but boast a plethora of special features and pre-loaded software. They are the "mac" of the pc world, trying to include software for easy picture/video editing, creating, and managing. Most of them are running one of the i5 or i7 cores from intel, as well as dedicated graphics. The dedicated GPUs give the series a HUGE advantage over other pcs that only offer integrated graphics processing (ie the intel 2000 or 3000 series graphics). They are also noted to be fairly reliable long-term.

The macs are a whole different story. Being that they pretty much have all the parts custom made for them (ie their foxconn mobos, and HDDs) they tend to last longer than the average PC. Whereas most pcs are "pieced" together and not much thought goes into their design, the Macs are designed from the case up. One of the key features that separates them from their competitors is their aluminum frames/bodies, and extremely high quality standards. They are also noted to be "immune to viruses" something that apple has clung to, stating "Macs are immune to all PC viruses" a pretty stupidly obvious statement for most of us PC folks, however they are not at all immune to viruses, they are in fact more suseptable to viruses than pcs are, they just don't have the market for a rapid spreading virus to take hold (although check this out...http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...s5S_story.html)

As for a comparison between the three its pretty difficult to do with the netbook involved, seeing how it is a dying/dead technology, compared to some pretty cutting-edge stuff with the vaios and macs. Between the vaio and the mac its pretty much a preference. Being a pretty hardcore PC guy myself I have to say that I defiantly like the PC platform better than the macs, but will gladly admit that the macs are better-built, and quite frankly better thought out than the PCs.

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they are in fact more suseptable to viruses than pcs are, they just don't have the market for a rapid spreading virus to take hold

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That is a bunch of crap. A trojan isn't a virus... and you have to be stupid enough to enter an admin password for it to even get onto your computer. Macs and other UNIX based OS's have much better security than windows does. There are known security holes in Windows that have been there for 20 years now. Since that article you posted was written, Apple has already put out 2 Java updates that patch the vulnerability.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

That is a bunch of crap. A trojan isn't a virus... and you have to be stupid enough to enter an admin password for it to even get onto your computer. Macs and other UNIX based OS's have much better security than windows does. There are known security holes in Windows that have been there for 20 years now. Since that article you posted was written, Apple has already put out 2 Java updates that patch the vulnerability.

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Lol, I knew I shouldn't have posted that... I am not about to get into a tech argument on a reptile forum, security is a matter of opinion. To me security means a system that is secure from hackers, not viruses, as a virus is EASILY avoidable, and seeing how macs are more susceptible to hackers than pcs are my vote goes for pcs. Yes I am FAR more likely to get a virus on my PC at this moment in time (although in 7 years of having one completely un-protected pc I have never gotten a virus...), I can and will admit to it daily.

I will leave it at that, again, lets not start a tech argument on this forum, its my place to relax from all the tech forum debates!

I did Just lol at that statement about macs being more prone to viruses . . . not going to get into that though, being its a false statement ;-)

It's truly unfair to try and compare these three, each one will fit a need and that need will be met by how you use it. Netbooks are a good fit for people who use a minimal amount of computing power and are on a strict budget. They can be upgraded ram and HD wise, but their Atom Processor is just the worst . . . and worst . . . and yeah . . .

Sony makes their laptops to last, kind of, the more you spend the better it will be. Plain and simple. We purchased a Sony back in the day, which was 2002 maybe? Paid 1700 for it and that computer, though running windows ME, is still running to this day without flaw. Then, in 2008 replaced it with a "new" sony on special for an amazing price of 399 (Black Friday), and it turned into the biggest hunk o junk crashing numerous times within the first 2 years, and not reviving by 2010. That computer was replaced by a Macbook Pro 13.3", base line model. Everything changed, and life was good again.

The sony will suite most needs for people who are content with the Windows based OS. They do pack a lot of their own editing software on the computer, but some of it is OK to work with while others are just taking up space. The performance on the higher end Sonys does stand up to time and value, but when you drop bellow the 800 mark for their laptops, you might as well buy a netbook and count your losses a year later.

Apple is designed for Photogs, editors, sound engineers, and graphic designers. It has mass appeal, and though Mac wasn't a common house hold object in say, 2005 even, today it's become a bench mark for many things such as: Smart Phones, Laptops, MP3 Players, and Tablets. There's a reason that most tech sites will compare the latest and greatest phones hiting the market to something like the iPhone 4, or when the Kindle Fire came out, how it was instantly criticized for not being an iPad.

Again, it's not a comparison you can just make. Obviously a macbook pro will be the best of the 3 in most cases, a higher level sony compared to the lowest level mac may out preform it however, but then it comes down to OS loyalty and whether or not you want to deal with the Windows Blue Screen of Death vs the Gray Screen of Death from Mac.

For those in the market for a netbook, macbook air is a GREAT option, because its not a limiting device. There is a real processor in there, and the Solid State Drive will keep it begooing as quick as you can think and act.

Not a technical review or comparison, just more of the same food for thought. I'm sure there will be some Windows fan boys on here who critisize the mac, but really, dual boot a mac with windows, and the macbook will still outpreform most portable computers.

Cheers

IMO I've had the Sony Vaio and my MacBook pro for about a year. Must say I do enjoy the MacBook more. The Vaio seemed to have more problems :/

Boy am I glad you posted this thread! lol. I am looking to purchase a new computer in October for a birthday present to myself and was comparing the Sony Vaio and MacBook Pro. I really want the Mac, but wasn't 100% convinced the price tag was worth it. The more I read about it the more I think it is though...this thread being no exception. lol.

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

Boy am I glad you posted this thread! lol. I am looking to purchase a new computer in October for a birthday present to myself and was comparing the Sony Vaio and MacBook Pro. I really want the Mac, but wasn't 100% convinced the price tag was worth it. The more I read about it the more I think it is though...this thread being no exception. lol.

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When people say that Macs are more expensive than PC's they aren't looking at the whole picture. Spec for spec they are usually on par with their PC counterparts (not including custom built as custom built rigs don't have manufacturer costs included) Apple simply does not make super low end products. To get a PC with the same processing power as a MBP you will be paying almost the same.

I will say though Apple charges far too much for RAM upgrades and internal storage (hard drives/solid state drives) but most of the time those can be upgraded by the user at a lower cost (but some of their products cannot Unfortunatly)

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

When people say that Macs are more expensive than PC's they aren't looking at the whole picture. Spec for spec they are usually on par with their PC counterparts (not including custom built as custom built rigs don't have manufacturer costs included) Apple simply does not make super low end products. To get a PC with the same processing power as a MBP you will be paying almost the same.

I will say though Apple charges far too much for RAM upgrades and internal storage (hard drives/solid state drives) but most of the time those can be upgraded by the user at a lower cost (but some of their products cannot Unfortunatly)

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Good point. I really want the Mac, and in all honesty will probably be purchasing that. :P I'm upgrading from 4GB of memory to 8GB of memory though. I really didn't want a computer with less than 6GB. The upgrade is relatively inexpensive actually. I was impressed. It's only an additional $100 if you order through the Apple store. It won't have the 2.6 GHz of processing speed that the slightly more expensive one has, but with 2.3 GHz the difference is negligible. Or at least in my opinion.

The only real downside would be the cost of repairs after AppleCare coverage ends. My mother used to build and fix PCs as her career a few years ago...so it was always really convenient to have a PC. If anything went wrong, she could fix it in a few hours. (Usually.) If I get a Mac, I'm out of luck on that one. :rolleyes:

I think it really depends on what you need to use it for and your preferences in terms of durability.

Sony doesn't compare if you need a computer for music or graphic design. :P

I run a lab with 20 mac pro towers not really on topic but as to security, in my experience they are far more secure. We have basically no anti virus software and no scanner at all. Each machine runs its own firewall but that is it. We have never had a virus hacked computer or Trojan in 18 years. My counter part whom runs the PC lab is constantly updating and jumping through hoops to keep the computers running well and virus free. In fact they re load the whole shooting match every week. It has proved to be the only way. I am just over two years and just updates have been loaded in fact I only do maintenance to the system every 14 weeks. This is with 2200 students using them. (most of my time is cleaning keyboards...) They are super stable and free from problems usually.

Price wise you need to compare power to power (geekbench). The mac pros (5.1) we are running are just over 4000$ a computer. The nearest PC speed wise is just under 11000 dollars (Dell Inc. PowerEdge R720) It is such a silly statement macs are more expensive... Macs are faster speed comes atr a price. Heck the old mac pro on my desk 2008 is only slightly slower than a Acer amd FX8120 new. It is crazy comparing a four year old computer to new off the shelf but ... I think the Acer is a bit faster but not by much.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Price wise you need to compare power to power (geekbench). The mac pros (5.1) we are running are just over 4000$ a computer. The nearest PC speed wise is just under 11000 dollars (Dell Inc. PowerEdge R720) It is such a silly statement macs are more expensive... Macs are faster speed comes atr a price. Heck the old mac pro on my desk 2008 is only slightly slower than a Acer amd FX8120 new. It is crazy comparing a four year old computer to new off the shelf but ... I think the Acer is a bit faster but not by much.

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This is why I'm running a Mac pro lol I triple boot Mac OS X, Windows 7 Professional, and Red Hat Linux on it... and it is a beast.

MacBook pro, I won't ever go back to PC.


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I say Mac book pro I just got mine a few months ago and I love it .. Worth the money :)